1. Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electro-optical panel which has a panel structure containing an electro-optical material, to an electro-optical device which has a structure including an electro-optical material, and to an electronic apparatus formed by using the electro-optical device.
2. Description of the Related Art
An electro-optical panel is a panel structure that can be made available on the market as a single unit. By mounting a wiring board such as an FPC (Flexible Printed Circuit) to the electro-optical panel, signals and a power supply voltage can be supplied from an external circuit to the electro-optical panel through the wiring board. By attaching an illuminator to the electro-optical panel, light can be supplied to the electro-optical panel.
In general, electro-optical panels are regarded as electro-optical components which have no accessory devices such as wiring boards and illuminators. However, if a panel structure having a wiring board and an illuminator mounted thereon is commercially supplied as a single unit, the overall panel including the wiring board and the illuminator can be regarded as one electro-optical panel.
Also, if an electro-optical panel including a plurality of panel structures, which are connected to one another by wiring boards, is made available on the market, the structure including the plurality of panel structures can be regarded as one electro-optical panel.
Electro-optical devices include all devices which include an electro-optical material and which can function as one of a plurality of components forming an electronic apparatus such as a cellular phone. Specifically, an electro-optical panel is an electro-optical device; an electro-optical panel with a wiring board connected thereto is an electro-optical device; and an electro-optical panel with an illuminator attached thereto is an electro-optical device.
An example in which a case for a cellular phone is regarded as an electronic apparatus will now be considered. Recently, flip cellular phones have become popular. In such a cellular phone, a first body with an operation function and a mouthpiece, and a second body with a display function and an earpiece are connected to each other by a hinge. The angle formed by the two bodies around the hinge can be changed.
In the cellular phone, when the two bodies are unfolded, information displayed on the display can be observed and the cellular phone can be used as a phone. By folding the two bodies, the cellular phone becomes compact so that the cellular phone can be easily carried when not being used.
Recently, so-called double-display cellular phones have drawn public attention. A double-display cellular phone includes a main display on which information can be observed while the cellular phone is unfolded and a sub-display for displaying a caller in order that the caller, mail reception, and the time can be determined while the cellular phone is folded.
In such a known double-display cellular phone, the main display and the sub-display display information are driven by different drive circuits.
When the main display and the sub-display are driven by separate drive circuits, as described above, there is a problem that the power consumption increases. In particular, it is desirable for a portable electronic apparatus such as a cellular phone to have low power consumption because there are demands for suppressing the capacity of the power supply and demands for increasing the operating time as much as possible.
In view of the foregoing problems, it is one object of the present invention to suppress the power consumption when a plurality of panels are driven.